OneClan
by atrfla
Summary: Four Moonkits. One soul, moving restlessly from cat to cat to cat to cat. StarClan has something planned for them, but what? To unite the Clans? It's impossible! But even if it is possible, the kits will have to grow up first. Watch Moonkit, Moonkit, Moonkit and Moonkit grow, each in a different clan, but with one goal: to unite the Clans into OneClan.
1. Chapter 1: ThunderClan Kit

**ThunderClan.**

"Moonkit!" Tawnyflight called after me. "Come back here this instant! You're too young to be playing out in the clearing. Come here at once!"

I tumbled back to her, frowning. "But Tawnyflight, I'm almost two moons old. Redkit was playing in the clearing before _he _was two moons old. Why can't I?"

"Your littermates haven't opened their eyes yet," Tawnyflight reminded me. "You can't play without them. That wouldn't be fair to them."

"But now it's not fair to _me_!" I wailed.

My father, Cloudwhisker, poked his head into the nursery. "Now Moonkit, are you giving your mother a hard time again?"

"She won't let me go outside!" I complained.

Cloudwhisker hid a smile. "Tawnyflight, she's nearly two moons old. Redkit was playing outside before _he_ was two moons old."

"That's what _I _said!" I almost shouted.

"Anyway," Cloudwhisker continued, "Redkit is lonely. He's always pestering the warriors if he can go on patrols with them, and StarClan knows Meadowflower is tired of chasing him around and having to play moss-ball and hunt-the-squirrel."

"It won't be fair to Robinkit and Thrushkit," argued Tawnyflight.

"I'm sure they won't mind."

"It's not _my _fault they were sickly when they were born!" I protested.

Cloudwhisker laid his big, fluffy light grey tail over my tiny shoulders that were the same color, and I straightened up as best as I could. "That's right, Tawnyflight. I understand why you're keeping Robinkit and Thrushkit in the nursery, since they're small and haven't opened their eyes yet, but Moonkit is big and strong and can take care of herself."

I set back my shoulders. "You bet I can!"

Tawnyflight sighed, and in that moment I knew we had won. "Fine... but one of you has to fetch me some fresh-kill. I'm tired and since Meadowflower's out chasing Redkit, I need to stay in here to watch the other kits."

"I'll do it!" I mewed excitedly. "I'll fetch you the best piece in the camp, Tawnyflight!"

"We'll do it together," Cloudwhisker meowed, touching his muzzle to the top of my head. "Come on, Moonkit."

I skipped after him, out of the nursery and out to the clearing. I had caught a glimpse of the fresh-kill pile on my brief trip outside a few moments earlier, so I made a beeline for it. An unfamiliar mouth caught my scruff and tugged me back, and I wriggled myself free so I could turn around and get a good look at my attacker, tiny claws unsheathed.

"Whoa there, little kit," the large pale ginger tom who had caught me chuckled. "Are you allowed to be out here on your own?"

I stood up proudly. "Yes, I am. I'm fetching Tawnyflight some food from the fresh-kill pile."

Cloudwhisker joined us. "Brackenclaw, this is Moonkit, the biggest of my kits and the only one who has opened her eyes. Moonkit, this is Brackenclaw, one of our Clan's fiercest warriors."

I opened my eyes wide. "Fiercest warriors? Cloudwhisker, can _I _be a fierce warrior?"

My father's tongue licked the top of my head gently. "Of course you can, but not for many moons yet. You have four to go before you become an apprentice, and then some more after that for you to receive your warrior training."

"But I want to be one _now_," I meowed, pouting.

Brackenclaw gave me a big, gentle, toothy smile. "You've got an eager one there, Cloudwhisker. We could use some more like her in the nursery. Right now, Redkit's being a pain in the tail attacking everyone's feet. Meadowflower's got her hands full."

"Speak no ill of Redkit," Cloudwhisker told him. "Remember, he's your brother's son."

Brackenclaw wrinkled his nose. "Don't remind me. Say, Moonkit, would you like me to take you on a tour of the camp while your father brings Tawnyflight some juicy fresh-kill?"

I perked up. "Oh, yes please! Cloudwhisker, can I?"

Cloudwhisker looked at Brackenclaw. "You just got back from patrol. Are you sure you aren't too tired?"

"I'm never too tired to play with an eager kit- as long as it's not a kit who's _too_ eager," chuckled Brackenclaw easily.

Cloudwhisker smiled. "Well, Moonkit, why don't you pick out a piece of fresh-kill for your mother before you go off on your big tour."

My gaze roamed over the fresh-kill pile before settling on a fat squirrel up near the top of the pile. "Right there." I pointed with one paw. "The squirrel."

"Good choice," Cloudwhisker meowed. "Tawnyflight will love this." He plucked it off of the fresh-kill pile with his teeth and headed for the nursery, but before he got too far, one of the rabbits on the pile got loose and came crashing down on top of me!

I shoved all four of my paws up and let my claws loose, just like I would with a real attacker. It landed on me with a big thump, but Brackenclaw plucked it from me before I was too crushed with one of the large claws for which he was so aptly named. He showed me some little holes in the rabbit's side. "You've got some sharp claws there, Moonkit. Nice work, by the way."

I puffed up with pride after being complimented, and he replaced the rabbit more sturdily on the fresh-kill pile before swinging me up onto his back by the same claw. "Where to first?"

"The warriors' den," I mewed immediately. "I want to see it."

"The warriors' den it is!" Brackenclaw laughed, moving towards it. I puffed out my chest, proud that I had not only been complimented but that now I was receiving a tour given by one of the fiercest warriors in the Clan!

**Merry Christmas!**


	2. Chapter 2: WindClan Kit

**WindClan.**

"Moonkit!" screeched Heatherlily. "Moonkit- come back, you can't be playing yet! You're too weak!"

Begrudgingly, I trudged back to the medicine cat. I knew she was right. I'd been born a sickly kit, and although I was stronger than I'd ever been, I still wasn't as strong as the rest of the kits in the nursery- including my littermate, Gorsekit, who had been born nice and healthy. "Yes, Heatherlily."

She smiled, licking the top of my head affectionately. From the day I'd been born, Heatherlily had known that I wouldn't get better easily, so I'd lived in the medicine den for the first two moons of my life. I only knew my mother from when she came in to feed me, because Meadowfeather didn't visit often. My father, Kestrelwing, visited often- not because I was sick or because he pitied me, but because I was his _kit_. I resented my mother for staying away. Even when she _did_ come, it wasn't to visit, but to feed me; and she was always distant and never spoke.

"When will I be able to play with Gorsekit and the others, Heatherlily?" I mewed plaintively.

She sighed and replied wearily, "I don't know, Moonkit. Your lungs are weak, and overexertion could kill you. Maybe when you're a little stronger." She brightened, trying to cheer me up, no doubt. "In fact, I bet that when you're able to eat prey, you'll get healthier very fast. You might even be able to be apprenticed at the same time as your littermate!"

This didn't make me the slightest bit happier, but I straightened up and meowed, "Great!"

I could see her relax as she tucked her tail over my shoulders. "Come, Moonkit. You can help me sort herbs."

"Not catmint," I mewed. "It makes me sneezy."

"Not catmint," she agreed, leading me back into her den.

She set me to sorting the dried-out basil leaves from the fresh ones. When I was finished with that, I helped her pat the juniper berries into a nice, neat pile. It was greenleaf, so the herbs were plentiful and her whole den was filled with pungent plants. As I nabbed a stray berry with my paw, Heatherlily suggested, "You know, Moonkit, you could easily be my apprentice. You'd sort herbs and treat others, and you wouldn't have the stressful life of a warrior that could hurt your lungs." She regarded me with knowing yellow eyes. "What do you say?"

"I still have four moons to go," I meowed.

"Yes, you do," she allowed, nodding her head, "but that doesn't mean you can't start thinking about which path you wish to walk." She paused, waiting patiently for a response.

I tilted my head to the side, rolling the berry beneath my paw. "I don't know, I guess. A warrior's life doesn't really appeal to me." I pushed the berry a little too hard and it rolled halfway across the den, stopping just shy of the entrance. "I just want a life where everyone knows me and wants to talk to me- so I suppose I could be a medicine cat." In truth, the life of a medicine cat didn't appeal to me either, but it was safer.

"Good," she meowed, relief flooding her voice. "Why don't you go fetch that berry and maybe Kestrelwing will be in to see you soon?"

I trundled over to pick up the berry gently between my teeth, and- I don't think she knew I heard her, but I did. Heatherlily murmured in a low, deep voice, "Your destiny lies far beyond that of a simple medicine cat, young kit. Every hardship you will face is part of your fate. StarClan has a path set for you, and it may not be easy, but it will reap rewards beyond your very imagination."

Then I padded back to her, and she brightened. "Good, Moonkit! Put it on the pile and I'll go see where Kestrelwing is. He should have been in by now." She swished by me, her gingery pelt disappearing out of the entrance, leaving me to put the berry back and ponder what she had said.


	3. Chapter 3: RiverClan Kit

**RiverClan.**

"Moonkit! Catch!"

One of my littermates, dark grey Stonekit, hurled the moss-ball we were playing with at me. I reached up and snagged it with a claw, bringing it down to the ground.

The second of my littermates- Rockkit, who looked almost exactly like Stonekit- pounced on the moss-ball. He pummeled it with his forepaws. "Hah! I stole the fish, Moonkit! You're a slow slug!"

"Moonkit's a slow slug! Moonkit's a slow slug!" Stonekit and my final littermate Lilykit chanted, laughing.

I leaped on Rockkit and bowled him over, batting his ears with sheathed claws. He squealed and shrank into a small ball. "Who's a slow slug now?" I taunted.

"Rockkit's a slow slug! Rockkit's a slow slug!" Lilykit cheered. She jumped on Rockkit with me, but Stonekit pulled her off and they rolled over the damp ground.

"Stonekit! Rockkit! Lilykit! Moonkit!"

My brothers, my sister and I started, stopped play-fighting, and guiltily looked up into the face of our father, Heronstorm.

"What are you doing?" Heronstorm asked in his deep voice. "Are you fighting? Does your mother know you're out here?"

"I do," called our mother, Mistyfall, from where she was grooming herself just inside the nursery entrance. "Don't worry, Heronstorm, I'm keeping an eye on them."

"It's a bit early to be playing outside," noted a passing black tom. Duskstorm was young, but wise, and he enjoyed playing with us sometimes. "Don't you think so, kits? After all, the day's patrols haven't even been assigned."

"It's never too early to start practicing our hunting skills," Stonekit meowed, and Lilykit and Rockkit nodded.

"We weren't exactly practicing our hunting skills," I mewed quietly. "I'm sorry, Duskstorm. We were being a little loud."

Duskstorm flicked his tail. "Don't worry, Moonkit. Most of us were awake anyway. In fact, you helped to wake up the lazier warriors!"

Heronstorm was about to say something, or at least it looked like it, but just then our leader strolled into the center of camp and called out, "Warriors, please assemble so I can assign patrols."

Silverstar was a pretty she-cat, but she was also an excellent leader. When the warriors had assembled, she picked out the best hunters to go fishing by the river and the best fighters to go on a Sunningrocks border patrol.

"Heronstorm, Troutmarsh, Shybright," she called out. "Would you like to go on a patrol or train your apprentices?"

"Train," the three chorused.

"All right," Silverstar allowed, dipping her head. "In that case… Minthaven, take Mudtalon, Beetleshine, and Willowsplash. Take a quick look at the WindClan border and check that those rabbit-eaters haven't crossed the scent line. After last moon's battle… we can't afford to have them running all over our territory again."

I wrinkled my nose. I'd been a mewling kit, barely born, when WindClan had invaded our territory and attacked our camp. I couldn't remember the battle, but the older kits (dark gray Minnowkit and white Lakekit) enjoyed telling us about how their father, Lightningstem, had stood in front of the nursery with Heronstorm and fought off droves of WindClan cats.

"But before anyone goes," Silverstar meowed loudly, as if she'd nearly forgotten something, "let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!"

"Come on, come on," Stonekit urged. He nudged us. "We're old enough to attend Clan meetings now. Mistyfall told me so yesterday."

"But we can't catch our own prey," I voiced carefully.

"We've never tried, slow slug," Rockkit pointed out.

With this, we scrambled out and sat next to Heronstorm. We jostled each other, everyone trying to sit closest to him, until he solved the problem by sweeping us all up with his tail into a big, wriggling knot of kits. On Heronstorm's other side was his apprentice, dark russet-colored Fishpaw, the oldest apprentice. He was only a few sunrises away from becoming a warrior and he knew it, so although he was kind, sometimes he could be insufferable.

"What do you think the meeting's about?" Lilykit whispered to me.

"I don't know," I whispered back. "Fishpaw hasn't gone through his final assessment yet, has he?"

"Of course not," Rockkit mewed dismissively, guessing, "I bet we're going to attack WindClan!"

"Why would she order patrols along the border if we're going to attack them?" Stonekit huffed.

"To lull them into a false sense of safety," suggested Rockkit.

Stonekit cuffed his head with one paw, and they rolled into a tangle of fur and paws. Heronstorm fished Stonekit from the struggle and placed my two male littermates as far away as they could get from each other.

"This is a proud day for RiverClan," announced Silverstar. "Today we have two new apprentices in our midst."

Surprised whispers spread throughout the assembled cats. Only Silverstar, our light brown deputy Mosstail, Minnowkit, Lakekit, and the kits' parents Shimmercreek (mother) and Lightningstem (father) didn't look astonished.

"Minnowkit and Lakekit," Silverstar declared.

The two kits, dark gray and bright white, stepped forward. They were neatly groomed and shining with excitement.

"Minnowkit," Silverstar declared, and my dark gray denmate stepped forward, her eyes bright. "From now on you shall be known as Minnowpaw." Our leader scanned the warriors as if making a choice, even though we all knew she had chosen who would mentor Minnowpaw already. "Pebblemist," she named. "You are ready for your first apprentice, and you will mentor Minnowpaw. I know you will pass on your wisdom and cheerfulness to Minnowpaw and teach her the skills that will make her an excellent RiverClan warrior."

"Minnowpaw!" cheered the Clan, myself included, as Minnowpaw padded over to Pebblemist and the young gray warrior with white legs touched her nose to Minnowpaw's head.

"Lakekit," Silverstar called out, and Minnowpaw's pristine white sister raised her head. "From now on you shall be known as Lakepaw. Willowsplash, Lakepaw will be your second apprentice. I know that you will pass on the same strength and kindness to her as you did to Shybright when she was your apprentice and make her just as great of a RiverClan warrior."

"Lakepaw!" the Clan hailed as Lakepaw ambled over to the lighthearted cream-colored she-cat, who touched her nose to Lakepaw's head. "Minnowpaw! Lakepaw!"

Lilykit prodded me with a paw. "_We'll _be apprentices soon, just like them."

"I call Mosstail," mewed Rockkit.

"Well, _I _call Beetleshine," Stonekit claimed.

"I want Silverstar," Lilykit sighed ambitiously.

"Who do _you_ want as a mentor?" Rockkit teased me. "Streamflower?"

"Yucky!" Lilykit squealed. "Who wants to mess around with stinky herbs?"

"They're _disgusting_," Stonekit meowed, but my mind had turned to Streamflower. Did my littermates know? Did they know that I secretly very much fancied myself a medicine cat? _But I want to be a warrior, too…_

**Don't forget to read + review!**


	4. Chapter 4: ShadowClan Kit

**ShadowClan.**

"Moonkit! No!"

A strong, fluffy dark gray tail whipped around me, stopping me in my tracks as I tried to run for the nursery entrance. It was my mother, Blossomwind. "You can't go out there! There might be rogues waiting to kill any cat that comes out of the den!"

"But I want to _fight_!" I argued, sliding out my claws. "I'm as good as any rogue out there. I bet they couldn't take me down if they _tried._"

Just then, a huge white head poked through the entrance. "It's okay, Blossomwind, Sleekspot, Moonkit," my father Littlewing reassured us. "The rogues are all gone. Blackheart, Weaselflight, Spikefur and Sparrowpaw are chasing them over the Thunderpath into WindClan territory."

Blossomwind smiled cheerfully down at me. "See, dear? They didn't need your help, and StarClan knows you'll fight in enough battles when you're an apprentice."

"He's a little fighter, your kit," remarked Sleekspot, grooming her silver ears with a matching paw. "I can only hope that mine will be as fierce when they're born." She had at least a few moons to go, according to our medicine cat (quiet yellow Grassflame) and his apprentice (that stuck-up tortoiseshell Ivypaw).

I studied Littlewing's face. There was a cut on the side of his muzzle, but from what I could tell from the blood on his claws, his attacker had gotten the worst of the fight. "Littlewing, can I come out now?"

Littlewing came fully into the nursery, wrapped his long white tail around me, and led me out. "Of course, Moonkit. In fact, Grassflame and Ivypaw could probably use some help carrying herbs out of the medicine den."

I wrinkled my nose. "Herbs are yucky. I want to _fight_."

"You'll get to," Littlewing promised, "and when Sleekspot's kits are born you'll have denmates to play-fight with." A dreamy look crossed his face. "I remember when I was a kit. I was small, of course- the runt of the nursery- but I had plenty of denmates to play with." Then his eyes grew serious. "But the nursery hasn't been so full since then."

Not wanting to listen about my father's days as a kit, I bounded over to where three she-cat warriors- Dewthroat, Rowanleaf, and Cloverstorm- were being tended to by Grassflame. Rowanleaf had a nasty gash across her extremely flat face, and that seemed to be what the medicine cat was most concerned about.

"How was the battle?" I pestered them. "Did you kill any rogues? How did you get hurt?"

They ignored me, since Grassflame was explaining to them that they had to come back to the medicine den with him so he could treat them without having to carry herbs. As one, the four cats got up and left. Littlewing chuckled and guided me away from the empty spot. "If you want to hear about the battle, son, just ask any of the apprentices. The sisters, maybe? I know they love to talk."

I grimaced. Starlingpaw, Sparrowpaw and Shadowpaw were the chattiest cats in all four of the Clans. "No, thanks!"

"Well, then, why don't you get some sleep?" Littlewing suggested, obviously out of ideas. "You must be tired from staying up so late."

"How can I get tired when there's a battle happening in my own camp?" I meowed.

Just then, some cat set up a loud cry. "Are all cats accounted for?"

I turned to see Blossomwind emerging from the nursery, Sleekspot right behind her.

"We should make sure no cat has disappeared," Sleekspot added.

"Good idea." My father nodded at them. "All right, where's Darkstar? He ought to be the one organizing this."

"Darkstar!" some cat yelled, and the rest of ShadowClan took up the cry when we realized that our leader was not in our midst. I joined Pounceclaw, a senior warrior with dark brown fur, in searching the warrior's den. I'd never been in the warrior's den. It seemed cozy and I liked it, but when Pounceclaw didn't find Darkstar in there he padded right out and dragged me along with him.

"Darkstar! Darkstar!"

I tasted the air. There was a jumble of scents, but through a few that smelled like crow-food (probably rogues') I thought I recognized Darkstar's scent leading back behind the warrior's den. I escaped nimbly from Pounceclaw's grasp and slipped back there. "Darkstar?"

A small black shape moved slightly and groaned. It _was _Darkstar! And there were other smells back here, too. Three crow-food scents, but the rogues who they came from were probably long gone. And a sharp, pungent taste…

Blood.

"Back here!" I yowled. "Behind the warrior's den!"

Warriors came flooding into the tight space, headed by Grassflame, Ivypaw and Blossomwind. The last of the three licked the top of my light gray head. "You found him! Good job, Moonkit."

I wriggled out from under her rough tongue. "_Blossom_wind…"

Grassflame and Ivypaw pushed by, carrying Darkstar. I could see in the moonlight that his side was completely soaked in blood. I winced. "Blossomwind, Darkstar's dying, isn't he?"

Blossomwind led me from the small space behind the den out into the main clearing. "No, dear. Grassflame will save him."

"And if he can't?" I persisted.

My mother heaved a sigh. "Then he'll lose a life. But Darkstar has been our leader for many, many moons, and if he does lose a life, then he'll only be on his fourth."

"But that's half of his lives," I continued. "He only gets eight."

"Nine, Moonkit," corrected my mother, steering me back to the nursery. "Now, you're only a few moons old and you need your sleep. Maybe if you get right to sleeping, I'll let you try some of my prey in the morning."

I looked at her. "Okay, but no frogs. Those look disgusting."

Blossomwind let out a little laugh as we settled down in her nest. "Oh, they are, darling. Just wait until you try lizards."

**R&amp;R, please! Oh, and if you're a fan of my Salinger Year series, you should check my profile page!**


	5. Chapter 5: ThunderClan Apprentice I

**ThunderClan.**

"From now on you shall be known as Moonpaw."

I raised my head proudly. A soft breeze was starting up in the cool night air as the stars twinkled above, and it ruffled my fur. What light grey tufts Tawnyflight had managed to lick into submission were starting to pop up again, I could tell. But I didn't care. I was about to become an apprentice! Who would my mentor be, I wondered?

"Brackenclaw," Sedgestar announced, and I could barely keep still from excitement. The first warrior I'd met on my first trip outside the nursery, four months before- the one who'd been so kind and given me a tour- the one Cloudwhisker had told me was _one of the best warriors in the Clan_\- he would be training _me!_

I didn't even hear the rest of what Sedgestar was saying because of the happy buzzing in my ears. My sight, however, remained pristine, so I was able to see when Cloudwhisker motioned softly with his paw in the corner of my eye to go touch noses with Brackenclaw.

I bounded up to the great warrior and did so happily. "I'm going to be the most diligent apprentice you've ever seen," I promised.

"I sure hope so," he responded, gently laying his tail over the scruff of my neck.

I could hardly sit still for Robinkit's apprentice ceremony, either. He was still very sickly and very weak, but could move around decently- enough for him to get the apprenticeship of his dreams, to Dawnpool. Perhaps the first thing he could do as medicine cat apprentice was cure his own everlasting illness!

There was no third apprentice ceremony. Instead, there was a moment of silence for the three cats we had lost two moons before. Siblings Hollybranch and Volestripe had passed away after sharing a diseased vole after a particularly unsuccessful hunting trip. My siblings and I had started to eat prey by then, and the brother and sister warriors had been so kind as to offer Thrushkit, the weakest of us all, a bite of succulent vole. All three of them had gone to StarClan soon after.

_Thrushkit wouldn't have survived as a warrior anyway_, I reminded myself, _and it's not like we can have _two _medicine cat apprentices._

When Sedgestar disappeared into her den, the rest of the Clan dispersed. I bounced beside Brackenclaw, my limitless energy propelling me forward though the moon was high in the sky. "So! When are we going to start training? A warrior has to have night training, right? Can we start now?"

Brackenclaw laughed. "Calm down, little one, or you're going to sprout wings and fly. No, I'd prefer for your first trip into the forest to be during the daylight. You never know what you might encounter or trip over or fall into during the night in the forest." He nodded his head towards the apprentices' den, which he'd shown me on that fateful tour. "There should be lots of room in there for the next three moons, until Brindlekit and Cherrykit become apprentices. Even then, four apprentices isn't that big of a haul. When I was a new apprentice, there were seven other cats in that den with me, and that wasn't even counting Dawnpool, who was also an apprentice at the time. Medicine cat apprentices don't sleep with the rest of the apprentices."

Shocked, I stopped in my tracks. "What? They don't?"

He shook his head with a gentle chuckle. "No. Medicine cat apprentices get a very different training than you will, Moonpaw."

I felt a thrill at being addressed by my new name.

"That's why they don't even sleep in the same place as regular apprentices do," he continued. "It makes sense, really. Now, why don't you go get some rest? I'm sure Redpaw will be fine with helping you make a nest. StarClan knows he has enough moss and feathers in there for two cats."

"Okay!" I padded away.

Redpaw, as it turned out, was _not_ fine with helping me make a nest. "Get your own moss," he grumbled as he hoarded all of the moss and feathers he'd collected (Brackenclaw was right, he did have a lot) to one side of the den. "This is _my_ moss, and this is _my_ side."

I grumbled, my excitement extinguished for the first time since sunrise, but trekked back to the nursery to see if Tawnyflight had left her moss when she moved back into the warriors' den. Sure enough, she had. It was day-old moss, piled off to the side by Fernberry, the only remaining queen in the nursery. The blue-grey she-cat gave me a delighted smile. "Moonpaw! Congratulations on your apprenticeship. I'm sure Brackenclaw will be an excellent mentor." She frowned slightly in puzzlement. "I expected for you to come back and visit your old denmates, but not for a little while. After all, you were just in the nursery this morning!"

"I'm just here for some moss," I explained, casting a glance at Fernberry's tiny three-moon-old kits Brindlekit and Cherrykit, who were fast asleep in Fernberry's nest. "Redpaw took all of the moss and he's not letting me have any. I figured you might have old moss."

Fernberry nodded. "Of course, take as much as you need. Soon you'll learn to fetch your own moss, or at least fight Redpaw for some of his!" She laughed openly, causing Brindlekit to whine and shift in his sleep.

I laughed too, and the ghost of that laughter was still echoing in my head as I dragged moss to the apprentices' den, made myself a nest, and fell right to sleep.

Redkit's tail whipped across my face as he exited the den in the morning, jolting me from a lovely dream about becoming the best warrior in the forest. "Wake up," he grunted over his shoulder at me. "Patrols."

Leaping to my feet, I gave myself a quick grooming before rushing out of the entrance to the den. Brackenclaw was sitting near the dejected-looking prey-heap, listening intently to what Sedgestar was saying. I hurried up to him and crouched just behind him.

"…take Ripfur, Brighteye, Dappleheart, and Redpaw to Sunningrocks," our great leader was ordering her deputy Adderspots. "See what prey you can find there, but also check the border between our land and RiverClan's. Silverstar has been poking around Sunningrocks lately, and I know she's just itching to become the only RiverClan leader to take Sunningrocks from us for good."

Adderspots nodded and flicked his mottled light brown tail. The four cats Sedgestar had mentioned followed the deputy out of the gorse tunnel.

"Bramblenose," Sedgestar continued. Brackenclaw's brother, Redpaw's father, stood from where he sat on the other side of the clearing. "Take Pinepelt, Stonenose, and Meadowflower and patrol the ShadowClan border."

That patrol left just as quickly as the first. Sedgestar called upon Mousestorm to lead Squirrelear and the two brothers Lionclaw and Tigertail in a hunting patrol near the Great Sycamore- whatever that was- and then she turned to face me.

"And now for the matter of our two new apprentices," she declared. "Featherfur? Sorrelpelt?"

"Yes, Sedgestar!" The voices of the two sisters, who were newly made warriors themselves, sounded from behind me.

"Dawnpool is going to take her new apprentice, Robinpaw, out for a tour of the forest to begin gathering herbs. Go with them and protect them, but if you happen to see any prey, don't let it escape."

I watched Featherfur's light grey fur streak across the clearing and disappear into the medicine den. Out of a Clan of twenty-eight cats, only eleven remained in camp, and that included Fernberry, her kits, Sedgestar herself, _and _our three elders (Hawkfeather, Crowfall, and Sagepelt)!

"Brackenclaw," Sedgestar meowed. "Our Clan needs good hunters in this time of hunger. I have left the center of the forest open so that you may train Moonpaw in peace."

"Of course," Brackenclaw agreed. He turned and beckoned for me to follow with his tail, leading me out into the forest.

I was not the next great hunter of ThunderClan, as I discovered that day. My footfalls were too heavy, and no matter how much I tried to lighten them, I always scared the prey away before I could even get in a close enough area to kill it. By the time we met up with Featherfur, Sorrelpelt, Dawnpool, and Robinpaw- who were heading back to camp- I was the only one without prey. Featherfur and Sorrelpelt had caught a vole each, Brackenclaw two large squirrels, and even Dawnpool had a shrew. Robinpaw was carrying the herbs he and Dawnpool had gathered, which I supposed counted as something useful to the Clan. I was feeling supremely useless when I stumbled down a steep slope and rolled right into a bramble bush.

I yowled as the thorns pricked at my fluffy fur, thrashing and screeching. Brackenclaw was at my side in an instant, tearing away brambles with his mouth. "Don't wiggle around so much," he growled through a mouthful of brambles. He spat out the brambles, which were spotted with blood from where they'd pricked my skin and (I assumed) his mouth. "It'll only make them tighter."

I froze, but not because he told me to. Right between my paws, also wrapped in the brambles, was a wiggling, trapped _mouse._

"There's a mouse," I whispered. "It's trapped!"

"So catch it!" Sorrelpelt meowed impatiently from behind us.

I batted at the mouse with my paw as Brackenclaw freed it. The creature squeaked, and I yelped. I'd gotten a thorn stuck in the pad of my paw, and as I yanked it away I took the brambles with it. The prey, liberated, squeaked victoriously and scampered toward its den on the other side of the bramble bush.

"Oh no you don't." I lunged, getting myself even more tangled in thorny branches, but managed to nip the back of the mouse's neck. It gave one final squeak and collapsed to the ground.

It took ages for Brackenclaw and Featherfur to free me from the brambles, but as I carried my mouse back into camp and deposited it on the pile before heading to the medicine den (Dawnpool had taken the thorn out of my paw almost immediately but still needed to treat it), I couldn't help feeling that it had been worth the pain. Someone was going to eat that mouse tonight, maybe one of the elders, and it had been all because of me.

"You did well today," Brackenclaw complimented me, falling into step beside me. "Now that you're an apprentice, you reserve the right to go to Gatherings. I think that Sedgestar will agree that your determination in catching that mouse has earned you a spot at the next Gathering. It's in a few days. Make sure you're getting your rest. You're going to need it."

I straightened up. "Thank you, Brackenclaw!"

Dawnpool hurried over to me just then and escorted me into her den, where she plastered some kind of poultice on my paw and instructed me not to put weight on it for a few moments. She crossed to the other side of the den, where I could hear her instructing Robinpaw: "A poultice of dock and burdock root will heal the scratch and keep it from getting infected. Cover poultices with catchweed burrs to make sure it doesn't fall off, but don't let the patient step on the burrs, it'll hurt…"

I tuned her out, as well as Robin's enthusiastic (but still weak and soft) replies, and thought about the Gathering instead. I had only been an apprentice for a day, and already I would get to attend a Gathering in a few more days. Were all apprentices this lucky?

**I know I haven't updated in a while, but I just took the time to read this entire story over and found a few errors that have been corrected. Also, I now have a full storyline planned out instead of just part of one. I can't wait to see where these four Moon-cats take us!**

**~atrfla**


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